1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for use in playing the game of golf, and more particularly, a cover device mounted on and about the open end of a golf bag to protect the clubs from inclement weather and the like.
2. Prior Art
The prior art describes various devices for mounting on a golf bag to protect the clubs stored in the bag. However, for a cover device to be useful to a golfer, the cover must protect the clubs regardless of the weather while enabling the golfer to readily access the clubs many times during a game. The cover must be easy to mount on and remove from the golf bag, and must provide ready access to the clubs for making a shot and then allow the golfer to replace the club back in the bag.
Representative golf bag covers that serve this purpose are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,648 to Sessler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,259 to Treadway and U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,642 to Tuntland, which show various flexible covers that are secured about the opening leading into a golf bag to protect the clubs. The flexible covers have an open flap portion which is not secured to the golf bag and provides for access to the clubs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,133 to Whitlow, U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,164 to Pilney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,548 to Howard, III et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,623 to Webster, Jr. all relate to golf bag covers having a tubular sleeve secured to the perimeter of the open end of a golf bag. The sleeve is allowed to drape over the side of the golf bag with the opposite open end providing access to the clubs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,442 to Bevier relates to a golf bag cover of flexible material having a flap edge spaced from the open end of the golf bag. In use, the edge is raised to remove a club from the bag. U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,937 to Delauder and U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,730 to Suberbielle relate to rigid golf bag covers pivotally secured to the golf bag. The covers are pivoted from a closed position into an open position to access the clubs.
The drawback with the various prior art golf bag covers is that none of them enable a golfer to reach into the golf bag without touching the palm of his hand to the cover device. During rainy weather this can cause a golfer to get water on his hand which is detrimental to a firm grip on the golf club. In that respect, the present cover device is an improvement over the prior art. With the present cover device, the golfer reaches under an open edge of the cover, up and into the bag to grab a club without touching the cover device with the palm of the golf glove. This prevents the palm of the golf glove from getting wet during inclement weather. A cover that does not provide access to the clubs without getting the golfer's palm wet defeats the purpose of the cover to begin with, which is to keep club grips dry. A dry palm gripping a dry club grip insures that the club will not slip in the golfer's hand during a shot.